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Thanks to an increasing deficit of rain, moderate drought conditions have developed on the southern tip of the state. For now, all that really means is that southwestern Miami-Dade County is becoming more vulnerable to wildfire. It doesn't pose any threat to our drinking water supplies or to healthy canal and lake levels. On the other hand, if the drought conditions continue to spread northward into Broward and Palm Beach counties - and become severe - the South Florida Water Management District could tighten water restrictions. Currently, all of Broward and the eastern half of Palm Beach County is deemed to be "abnormally dry." One reason for that: A parade of...

Related "Droughts and Heat Waves" Articles

Thanks to an increasing deficit of rain, moderate drought conditions have developed on the southern tip of the state.
For now, all that really means is that southwestern Miami-Dade County is becoming more vulnerable to wildfire.
It doesn't pose any...

Portions of South Florida may fall under drought conditions in coming months, parched from a rainfall deficit of up to 6 inches since the beginning of the dry season.
That could translate to water restrictions – mainly with lawn sprinkling and car...

It's easy to dismiss that which is all around us, but ask anyone from outside South Florida what a gumbo limbo is, and chances are they'll think it's a Cajun soup. Though it's a common tree in most South Florida neighborhoods, gumbo limbo is one of the...

Mark your calendar: Jan. 1, 2020.
As this future year unfolds, the gap between how much cocoa the world wants to consume and how much it can produce will swell to 1 million metric tons, according to Mars Inc. and Barry Callebaut, the world's largest...

South Florida’s record-setting drought delivered a setback to the fight against exotic plants spreading across the Everglades.Melaleuca and other fast-growing transplants from other parts of the world are a threat to the Everglades because they...

Dried-out portions of Lake Okeechobee burned Wednesday as wildfires spread across exposed lake bed.Fires suspected to have started with a lightening strike Tuesday night spread through dried-out marshes along the northwestern portions of the lake,...

Wildfires burning on Lake Okeechobee’s exposed lake bed could end up helping drought-strained wildlife habitat.
While it may seem weird to see fire spreading across land usually covered by water, wildfires are a natural part of Florida’s ecosystem,...

Draining Lake Okeechobee water out sea resumes Friday, just a few months after low lake levels contributed to South Florida’s water supply strain.It’s yet another example of South Florida’s feast-or-famine water supply situation.The Army Corps of...

Lake Okeechobee wading bird populations took a steep decline between 2011 and 2010 due to drought-strained water levels, according to the South Florida Water Management District.The state counted 2,750 heron, egrets, ibis and other wading birds on the...

South Florida just had its driest January on record, but water supplies are holding steady thanks to a soggy fall, water managers said Wednesday.South Florida averaged just .16 inches of rainfall during January, about 8 percent of the average rainfall for...

Following an abnormally dry January, moderate drought conditions now encompass virtually all of South Florida, increasing wildfire danger and starting to turn lawns brown.Only southern Broward County and northern Miami-Dade County received enough rain...

Most of South Florida is now at a high risk of seeing wildfires, and some water supplies are lower than normal, as moderate drought conditions have spread across Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Palm Beach County, which received enough rain to escape...

Thanks to normal to above normal rains for the past two months, drought conditions across much of South Florida have improved from the severe to moderate category, the National Weather Service reported Thursday.
August was particularly rainy in part...

Thanks to heavy rains earlier this month, South Florida’s populated areas no longer are experiencing moderate drought conditions. Still, as of this week, the region is drier than usual and vulnerable to wildfires, the National Weather Service in Miami...

A tornado warning that was issued for the east-central portion of Palm Beach County Tuesday morning has been canceled, according to the National Weather Service.The warning issued shortly after 8:30 a.m. was supposed to be in effect until 9 a.m. but was...

South Florida likely will see a drier winter than normal thanks to La Niña, the atmospheric force best known for nurturing tropical systems.
It might be warmer, too, at least starting in February. On the other hand, there is a high chance of a...

PINEHURST, Calif. A massive die-off of pine trees in the southern Sierra Nevada caused by beetles attacking drought-stressed trees is turning forests brown and creating a fire tinderbox. From El Portal in Mariposa County to Kernville in Kern...

A plan to pump $1 billion of water spending into drought-stricken California cleared the Legislature on Thursday and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to sign the legislation. The California Assembly voted unanimously, 74-0, on AB91 a day...

Lawmakers are proposing emergency legislation, state officials are clamping down on watering lawns and, as California enters a fourth year of drought, some are worried that the state could run out of water.
State water managers and other experts said...

As California copes with a fourth straight year of drought, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on Thursday proposed legislation to accelerate more than $1 billion in water spending and urged residents to do their part to conserve. Winter is ending...